A New Season and a New Look
It’s not feeling like fall just yet at Our Little House, quite the opposite, but since we had snow in May and everything seems to be running late, we figure it should cool down by the end of the month.
The weather may not be telling me it’s time for fall décor, but the calendar is and that’s good enough for me.
I try to change a few things up at least a couple of times a year, I think it’s important in a little house, especially, as we don’t have a lot of latitude when it comes to decorating.
A couple of weeks ago, our old neighbors from the city came down for a quick visit, just to see our house, really, as they had never been.
I hadn’t gotten out the summer comforter I use as a bedspread and we had really just been using an old cheap bedspread my husband used in his first apartment in 1983.
It doubles as a lightweight blanket for me in the summer and with Molly being so ill, I didn’t have to worry about any accidents.
So when our neighbors popped in for their visit, I got out a “new” quilt my aunt made for us when we built Our Little House 10 years ago.
I had never used it because I know the value of such a handmade quilt, both monetarily and sentimentally.
However, I felt the time is right to start using it and I think it will make a great fall/winter spread for the bed this year.
We’re also about ready to paint all of the rooms except the bedroom (which was done when Dale was laid off 5 years ago), so that will help change up the look throughout the house.
Do you change your décor with the seasons?
I’m probably one of the few people who dislikes fall intensely. It’s a season that always makes me feel blah. Summer is when I’m most comfortable. (I prefer very hot weather and here in NYC, it gets pretty warm.) And the winter is wonderful because I ski so I’m always looking for some good snowfall. But, as far as decorating for the seasons, I don’t do much of that. In the winter it’s a down comforter and in the summer just a light sheet. But I so love your quilt!
I do make a few small seasonal changes at the house. Here, it has felt like fall since August. Overnight? Winter. The winds are howling. The temps dropping. So, I added flannel sheets under the summer bedspread for now. Then, I’ll add the wool blanket and down comforter once the snow starts falling, which should be soon. Much of what we do is more practical, than decorative, though. Like chopping wood and such.
Love the look of the quilt on the bed. I don’t make any seasonal changes except for Christmas decorating. It takes me forever to get things just right, so making seasonal changes would be frustrating. In enjoy how others change up their homes, though so I’ll live vicariously through you.
Hmmm… I wish I had more TIME to think about changing things up in the house. For me, any spare time is used trying to knock back the clutter.
That quilt is gorgeous.
I love fall, too — when it finally shows up in Austin. But decor changes? No, I’m too lazy.
Kerri – I love the quilt! It has a great fall look. Seeing it makes me want something similar, but we already have two comforters here (and not a lot of space to store them). Our cabin has pine walls throughout, so there isn’t a painting option for us.
Yes, I too am bad about saving things, for who knows what? My mother used to put new towels in her guest bathroom that were for looks only. When we came to visit, we got to use the daily towels, and the new ones were saved for later. I think that’s where I get some of this from….
Thanks, Sheryl. We like the quilt. I wish we had pine walls, so much easier then painting! LOL, we used to have “for show” towels too. It seems silly to me now, but I got it from my mother as well. 🙂
that is a lovely quilt. with such a storn pattern, do you find it is a focus in your small space?
we do make a few seasonal chnages here — pinecones and grasses in the window and such, more when it gets to Thanksgiving and Advent.
my favorite quilt, a blazing star/lonestar pattern, pretty much stays all year around. as for using inherited things/gifts, you’ll be pleased to know the remaining bits of my grandmother’s wedding silver are in the drawer with other utensils and get used each day. I think she — and those who gave it to the happy couple all those years back — would like that.
I think it is, Kerry. The room is very small, about 10 x 10, so it definitely draws your eyes to it. The bed (I think)is pretty, a cabin type, so it’s exactly what this bed needed, I think. Good for you, using that silver. Now I should dig out my mom’s china and do the same.
I might throw another blanket on top of me in bed, but that’s about it for seasonal changes here in so Cal!
Your staying with my theory that the least changes in the seasons means less changes in decorating. 🙂
I change from a comforter to a quilt in the summer, too. I try to use old, hand-made things, because when my mother moved into a nursing home and I helped her clear out cupboards, I learned she still had towels I had given her 20 years before–unused! That’s not why I gave them to her, you know?
A note on paint colors–I just learned that at least Dunn Edwards, and possibly other companies–change the blends in their colors from time to time, so if you want an exact match you tell them the name of the paint and the year you bought it and they can custom blend it for you. Amazing!
Thanks for the tip on the paint, Vera! Yep, I have things that have never been used. They need to be.
I’m with Melanie! Other than Christmas, our decor stays pretty much the same all year round.
I wonder if that has to do with both of you living in tropical climates, which doesn’t see a lot of changing of the seasons? Interesting.
Just a little change like this can really freshen up your whole house. Painting is a big change too. The quilt looks great and it is special to have something made by someone you love. SOmetimes I am hesitant to use special things too, but then I wonder what the point in having it is if I am not going to use it!
“Protecting” precious items has been a mindset I’ve had to change. Little by little, I’m coming out of that and learning that “well worn” is better than “never worn.” 🙂
Headed into spring here. The only change in our decor seasonally is what fresh fruits we have in the fruit bowl.
LOL, Melanie! Well, that’s changing decor seasonally! 🙂
I don’t change the decor with the seasons, but I have decided not to “save” stuff for later. We are not getting any younger. Time to use nice things is NOW!
That’s a good philosophy, one I’m using as well, Alexandra!
I love fall and especially like making the house festive with some autumn flower arrangements, mostly found by walking our land and using the dried grasses and flora that are there for free! I like scented candles too and enjoy making the house smell like pumpkin pie is in the oven! I don’t do a lot of rearranging of the furniture. I am pretty happy with how things are set up, but I really love putting colorful mums in front of the house and using accents and flower arrangements inside to give a feeling of fall.
Oh, I love those things too, especially the mums and candles. I will be writing about keeping a small home smelling fresh (particularly with dogs) on Friday! 🙂
Oh, how I love to rearrange furniture! And can’t in our little cabin either. So I change out linens also. I keep a white matelasse comforter and black check dust ruffle on the bed year round. But I have tons of pillows and swap some of them out in the fall and winter. And I keep a red patterned quilt folded on the end of the bed that I swap out for a wool throw in the winter. And put out pumpkins and gourds on the porch and set up a small live tree we cut down and decorate on the porch in December. The porches give some extra room.
I like your bedroom wall color! Also like the lighter neutral shades. Everything seems so fresh and new when you paint!
Thanks, Sue. I love our bedroom wall color! My mom was such a decorator and loved wall colors, but Dale likes white and shades of white, so that’s all we’ve ever had until now. 🙂 I’m glad I got him to go with a light beige. I can’t wait to get it on the walls. Pillows are a great idea and I think I will try pumpkins and gourds this year on the deck and hope the squirrels or dogs don’t eat them. 🙂
Pretty quilt. I don’t do much seasonal changing. But, I would like to get some fresh paint up. Generally use neutral colors because I can’t decide on any vivid color I want to live with for a length of time.
Do you have color changes in mind for your painting?
Hi, Mary, we already have the paint and the best part about it is that we’ve already seen it on a wall.:) It’s the neutral color my sister in law choose for her house and we liked it. She had enough left over and we bought it from her for cheap. 🙂 When we left the city, we had our house painted in order to stage it for sale and we loved that color. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find the color we used in the brand that was used. It must have been something they used on a regional basis or something. We tried to mimic it in the bedroom, but actually ended up with a much darker brown. Ok for me, but Dale doesn’t like it very well, so when we redo it, probably will go a little lighter.